Summary Practice (Follow-up from GS) Suggested Content Points

To those who attempted and completed the exercise, you may refer to the suggested content points here:

Suggested content points:

1.     Some desert birds seek shelter in holes inside cacti

2.     Getting water from cacti’s flesh

3.     Some animals have waterproof coverings that prevent water loss

4.     Burrowing animals keep their burrows moist with their breathing

5.     Reducing water-loss through evaporation

6.     Some neither pant nor sweat

7.     Concentrated urine to minimize water-loss

8.     Seeds kept in burrows absorb water vapour from the air

9.     Providing both food and water

10.  Condense water for drinking from fog or dew

11.  Kangaroo rats get water from their food with their extremely efficient kidneys

12.  Male sand grouses fly long distances to look for water

13.  Soak it up with their breast feathers which chicks suck on later

14.  Cacti store water in their stems

15.  Have broad, shallow root systems for absorbing water

16.  Spines instead of leaves to minimize water-loss

17.  Protect from animals attempting to get water from their stems

Good luck for your examinations!

Summary Practice (Follow-up from GS) - Group 5

Post your summary of the desert here.

Summary Practice (Follow-up from GS) - Group 4

Post your summary of the desert here.

Summary Practice (Follow-up from GS) - Group 2

Post your summary of the desert here.

Summary Practice (Follow-up from GS) - Group 3

Post your summary of the desert here.

Summary Practice (Follow-up from GS) - Group 1

Post your summary of the desert here.

Email Task & Other Work to be Done

My dear subjects

I have uploaded the keynote onto the Google Sites for your reference. You will find what we have done today there plus TASK 4 which you have to complete by tomorrow [1 October 2010] (Yes, I will extend it to tomorrow because I am a benevolent ruler). I have put the slides here also for your viewing delight.



The rubrics for assessing Paper 1 have also been uploaded under Writing and Representing in the Google Sites.

As you complete the final journal entry on a story of your choice, refer to the rubrics and make sure you make use of we have learnt in terms of plot structure, good beginnings, literary devices and also vivid words and descriptions. This is due 4 October 2010.

I hope my short conversation with you all has begun to make you see the predicted reality if you do not start being serious about the quality of your work from now.

Good advice on deaf ears is but silent sounds.

Heed it if you want to make it.

P/S Reminder for all other pieces of work (Podcast, Advertisement Task, Brochure, Products) to be in by tomorrow [1 October 2010].

Summary Practice Follow-up

Using your own words, summarise the information in this paragraph in 50 words.


Moving and feeding in large tight-knit groups is an important survival tactic for some prey animals. In a group, there are many more pairs of eyes to watch out for danger. At the same time, predators find it very difficult to single out an individual for attack when the animals are clustered close together. What’s more, if the group suddenly disperses, a predator may be confused by the sheer number of animals fleeing in all directions. That’s one of the reasons why grazing mammals gather in herds on grasslands, and why many marine fish swim in shoals.


Post your refined response as a comment by Monday 27 September 2010.

homELearning Activity 2 (S1-07: 03 Goh Chin Fan)

Written Response:

Who is/are the focus/focuses in the image? How do you know that?

The woman and her child sleeping on the mat on the floor are the focuses in the image. They are in the middle of the image.

Describe the characters/setting.

The woman and her child are sleeping soundly on the mat which is placed on the floor while people walk past them. There are some clothes and fabrics hung on the rails in front of the mat.

What kind of story do you think lies behind the image? Explain.

I think the woman and her child are suffering from food shortage as they are very poor and cannot afford food.

What do you think is/are the message/s the photographer is seeking to convey through the image?

The photographer wants to tell the viewers that they should appreciate what they have now as the woman and her child does not have what they have.


What do you like/dislike about the image? What would you have done differently if you were the photographer?

I dislike this picture as it does not show the face and expression of the woman and her child. I would have shown their faces.

homELearning Activity 2 (S1-07: 02 Emily Wu Mei Chang)

Here's the link to my video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmzeWS8a1XE

Written response

Who is/are the focus/focuses in the image? How do you know that?

The main focus in this picture is the rickshaw puller pulling a rickshaw amongst the heavy traffic. He is in the centre of the picture and is a big contrast compared to the background of cars and motorcycles.

Describe the characters/setting.

This place is a road with buildings along its two sides. The place is very untidy and dirty, even the floor is wet. It is very cramped and crowded. I can see two yellow cars and a motorcycle on the road. Very near them is the rickshaw puller. He is pulling a rickshaw with two passengers and two big baskets that are filled with stuff. From the position of the rickshaw puller, I can tell that he is having a hard time trying to get the rickshaw to move.  

What kind of story do you think lies behind the image? Explain.

This image wants to show us how tough the lives of rickshaw pullers really are. With the advancement of technology , people would choose taxis and buses over rickshaws so, rickshaw pullers have very little chance to earn money. Furthermore, because they have little business, their physical fitness decreases so they get more tired easily. 

What do you think is/are the message/s the photographer is seeking to convey through the image?

The photographer is probably trying to say that while some people are already driving big cars, some are still pulling rickshaws for a living. He wanted to show this unfairness in  the society through his photo.

What do you like/dislike about the image? What would you have done differently if you were the photographer?

The expression of the rickshaw puller is not shown in the photo. I think that if his expression was shown, it would  have brought out how laborious the work of rickshaw pullers really are. I would make sure the expression is seen but at the same time still keep the background in the picture. 

homELearning Activity 2 (S1-07: 21 Yeo Jun Jie)

Sorry, I have forgotten to put the link. here it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahw5pUgHw9I

homELearning Activity 2 (S1-07: 21 Yeo Jun Jie)

Hello. I have uploaded my video onto youtube incase my video got cut off. My response is also in the description for easy reference.

Part 2 (sent in part 1 but didn't work)

The main focus of the pictures are poor people. I know that as all the pictures shows people that they are living in very bad conditions, or working odd jobs.

The pictures are set such that the people look poor, and look like they like they are homeless.

I think that the story that lies behind these pictures are that there are many people who are poor and are living in the streets. This is common in backwater countries, where the government barely has money to support itself. 

The message is that the photographer wants us to know that there are people out there who are not so rich, and the photographer tells us to appreciate what we have.

I like that the photographer has successfully conveyed the message he or she wanted to tell to us. I would do something different though. I would take some pictures of the poor people, as well as pictures of rich people, so that the viewer can easily compare between both living conditions.

homeELearning Activity 2 (S1-07_08_Elgin Low)

homELearning Activity 2 (S1-07: 15 ElginPatt)

Picture 2b


In this picture, the taker of the picture is trying to focus on the man in the middle of the picture and he is lying down in the middle of the dirty place. The man and his child are the only people in the picture. The man and his child are both very thin and dirty and their clothes are simple and seem like they have not been washed for a long time. Also,where they are lying at is a crowded street where many other poor people also reside at. I think that the man and his child are very poor because they do not even have a proper place to live in.Or maybe they were thrown on the streets by other family members and were not allowed to go home. The messages that the photographer is trying to convey is that some people in other countries are very poor and do not have a proper place to live in whereas we should be happy that we have a place to stay in. I like it about how the photographer centers his picture on the man and his child resting as it shows that it is the main point he is trying to express. If I were the photographer, I would have zoomed in more to the picture as the background was providing a unnecessary distraction.                           

homELearning Activity 2 (S107: 007 Darius Low)

Sorry but I named my video wrongly. Here it is again. 

Darius Low

homELearning Activity 2 (S107: 007 Darius Low)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxoGTXUpPt4

Darius Low

homELearning Activity 2 (S1-07: 03 Goh Chin Fan)

HomELearning Activity 2, S107:19 (Tam Wai Hang)

My video on task two

hom(EL)earning Activity 2 (S1-07: 11 Lim Hao Yang

*I retook my video with Quicktime Player to enable the visuals to be synchronised with the audio. Sorry for any inconveniences caused.

The focus of the image is the man pulling a rickshaw. The man is in the centre of the image, which is a strong indication of its focus. To add on, he stands out from the image. His attire shows that he is poor as he does not have any shoes on. Also, his posture shows that he is under much hardship, contrasting to the background where the people dress smarter and have little hardship, mostly using automobiles for transportation.

I think that this man comes from a poor family and has to earn money to support his family. So, he has to resort to pulling rickshaws which uses much effort.

I think that the photographer is trying to show the inequality of society, with the poor working hard for the rich's convenience.

I like this image because it reflects on the society we now live in. However, the focus may not be too obvious. If I were the photographer, I would have had a closer shot, with only the man, his rickshaw, the passengers and the motorcycle. To add on, the motorcycle should be facing the camera. This is to make it easier to show the two items to be compared, the rickshaw, and the motorcycle.

HomELearning Activity 2, S107:17 (Shawn Lim)

Sorry for the first one

HomELearning Activity 1, S107:19 (Shawn Lim)

HomELearning Activity 1, S107:19 (Tam Wai Hang)

The focus of this picture is on the family of six living is a dilapidated house. I can tell that as they are all captured in this picture. 

They are all chatting happily despite living in such a poor environment. There is a baby sitting on a hammock hanging down from the roof. 

One of the family members in green shorts, who is probably their father, is sleeping beside one of their children. The rest of the members are having a great time chatting with each other.

I think that the photographer is trying to convey that, even in such a third-world country, there is not necessary any misery, but there can be very happy families who are satisfied with what they currently have.

I like the picture as it a very simple and captures the happy moment within a family. If I were the photographer, I would capture a smaller number of people in the picture, so there is not so much other distractions. 

homELearning Activity 2 (S1-07: 13 Marcus Aui)

I have chosen the third image. This image is most likely taken in a rural village and the background is the houses or huts that they live in. These children look like they are having a lot of fun despite the living conditions there. I believe that there is a lot of hardships that they have to go through everyday despite the cheerful look on their faces . I think that the photographer is trying to tell us that even in tough conditions, we can still smile and be happy.

homELearning Activity 2 (S1-07: 21_Yeo Jun Jie (Responses)

I accidentally attached my responses in the email. Here is the response:

Picture 1 (a)


The picture is focused on the rickshaw puller. There is a motorcyclist riding on a motorcycle riding towards the rickshaw puller. Traveling on the rickshaw are a child and a man. They could be related to each other. The setting is on a very busy street which was full of vehicles. I think this may be the reason why the motorcycle was traveling on the pavement. This place may be in a third world country. I think this is so as the rickshaw puller does not wear any shoes. I think that he does not earn enough money to buy shoes. I think that the story behind this picture is that the motorcyclist had no space to ride on the road, therefore, he rode on the street without considering the people on the road, especially rickshaw riders that are pulling passengers around. The photographer is trying to tell us that third world countries are very unfortunate that they do not have what we have in a modern day metropolis like Singapore and we should cherish what we have. What I dislike about the photograph is that the photographer portrayed the bad side of the place. If I were the photographer, I would take a photo of the better side of the city.

homELearning Activity 2 (S1-07: 21_Yeo Jun Jie

Here are my responses and video

homELearning Activity 2 (S1-07: Sean Phua Aik Han)

homELearning Activity 1 (S1-07: Sean Phua Aik Han)

I have chosen Picture 2(c).

The focus in the image is the family of 5 children. I came to this decision as the family makes up most of the picture and in my opinion, the background is slightly blurred out.

The family isn't really in the best economical state and they look like they're poor. The children have little clothing to wear and they also have to sleep on the floor.

I think the story behind this image is of a united and contented family living through the hardest times together. I can come to this conclusion as in the image, the family is happy that they are together even though they are poor and might not have a good living environment.

The photographer is probably trying to tell us that we are very fortunate and definitely should be contented to have a nice living environment and clothes to wear. 

What I like about this picture is that it can bring out the good and bad things of this family all at one time. As if the good and bad were fused as one. If I was the photographer, I would have taken a photograph with 2 families in it. One family poor but contented and one family well-off but un-contented. Something like a contrast.

homELearning Activity 2 (Class:s1-07 Tang Wen Yue)

The focuses in the image are the children as they are in the center of the image and the background is blurred so you can't see it clearly.There are 3 boys that are in the picture.They are smiling at each other and the smallest boy is sitting in a hammock that is behind the other 2 boys.Only 1 boy has a shirt on and one other has 2 bands on his right arm.There is a woman sitting behind the boy who has a shirt on,smiling at the smallest boy.She is wearing a green and yellow dress and she is holding something in her left hand,where a red band and yellow band is visible around her wrist.There are 2 other people lying down behind or under the hammock,facing away from each other.One is wearing a green skirt with a white top,and the legs are tucked in.The other is wearing an orange top with yellow shorts.They are sitting on what looks to be a wooden board and the hammock has a pillow and green blanket on it.I think that the story that lies behind the image is about the family having gotten a better life as the place is quite lively as there are many people in the background.I think the photographer wanted to convey the message that people can still be happy even if they do not have certain privileges.If I were the photographer,I would zoom out a little to show more of the living conditions.

Home Learning

This is my work for the homELearning activities.

Liau Zheng En

homELearning Activity 2 (S1-07: Dionne Choo Tsi Min)

I feel that the focusses of the photograph are the woman and toddler.

The woman and toddler, clad in a simple singlet and shorts look very poor. I inferred this as they do not have a bed. Instead, they have to sleep on the floor, on a single piece of cloth, in their cloth shop. I thought that the setting of this photograph was in a cloth shop, as there are a lot of pieces of cloth hanging on a grill, all of which, I think, are for sale.

I think the photographer is trying to show us that some people, like the ones in the photograph, do not even have a proper house to live in. He might also be trying to tell us to be grateful for what we have in Singapore, a good education, and that we do not need to work and man a shop to earn a living, at such a young age.

I like the fact that the photograph was quite closely shot. However, if I were the photographer, I would have partially blurred the background, as I think that it is a bit 'noisy'.

homELearning Activity 2 (Class: FULL Name)

The focus of the image is the man pulling a rickshaw. The man is in the centre of the image, which is a strong indication of its focus. To add on, he stands out from the image. His attire shows that he is poor as he does not have any shoes on. Also, his posture shows that he is under much hardship, contrasting to the background where the people dress smarter and have little hardship, mostly using automobiles for transportation.

I think that this man comes from a poor family and has to earn money to support his family. So, he has to resort to pulling rickshaws which uses much effort.

I think that the photographer is trying to show the inequality of society, with the poor working hard for the rich's convenience.

I like this image because it reflects on the society we now live in. However, the focus may not be too obvious. If I were the photographer, I would have had a closer shot, with only the man, his rickshaw, the passengers and the motorcycle. To add on, the motorcycle should be facing the camera. This is to make it easier to show the two items to be compared, the rickshaw, and the motorcycle.

HomELearning Activity 2 (S1-07 18 Sun Jie Min) Part 1

Picture 2a

The focus of the image is the hardworking man who is pulling a carriage, with 2 boys (which I think are his sons) sitting on it. He is in the center of the image. A motorcyclist stops to let the barefooted carriage puller go, on the pavement just beside the busy road filled with cars.

The carriage puller is clad in a singlet and skirt-like bottom and a towel on his left shoulder. The motorcyclist is wearing a neat blue shirt and black pants with a helmet on his head. The 2 boys are helping to carry a big basket.

The photographer is probably trying to say that in this country, many people have to work very hard to make a living and support their families.

I like the image as it quite easy to digest and not too complex. If i were the photographer, i would have zoomed in on the carriage puller to show his facial expression.

HomELearning Activity 2 (S1-07 18 Sun Jie Min)

Picture 2a

Ways of Talking / Laughing (By Liau Zheng En)

Ways of walking and laughing crossword puzzle game » make crossword puzzle

Onomatopoeic Poems

Task: Write a poem that concentrates on describing the sounds of a particular action, event or scene.

If you cannot think of a subject, use one of the following to guide you:

1. Factory
2. Fire
3. Examination hall
4. Airport terminal
5. Jungle
6. Food Court
7. Thunderstorm
8. Kitchen

Step 1: Compose your poem on Pages. After you are done, put it in the Submit Folder.

Step 2: Copy and paste your poem to Wordle to get a visual representation.

Step 3: Add the URL of your onomatopoeic poem as a comment to the EL Blog.

Step 4: Visit your friends’ poems and comment on which you like the best in terms of:

- interesting sound words being used

- appropriate sound words being used

- visual impact/quality

Common Threats to Computers

Hi class

Please think about these questions and post your comment. Some research may be needed to answer them.

1. When do we use "program" and "programme"?
2. Why is the Trojan Horse so named?
3. Why are there no figures given in this information report? Does it make it less authoritative?
4. What do you think is the underlying message of the report?